CHELSEA plan to lure Fernando Torres by using one of his old Liverpool team-mates as bait.

Yossi Benayoun made the switch from Anfield last week, and puzzled Blues fans by the logic of bringing a £6million fringe player to Stamford Bridge while Joe Cole was allowed to leave the Blues as a free agent.

The answer lies in comments made by Torres about the on-pitch ability of Benayoun.

The Spanish striker said: “Yes, for me (Benayoun) should always play because I need a player like him with quality in the pass and always looking forward; looking for the striker. I always say to him that if I was the manager he'd always play with me.”

The Blues are understood to be assembling a bid in excess of £40m for Torres – a sum which would smash the British record £32.5m paid by Manchester City two years ago for Robinho .

Liverpool are desperate for cash to stabilise their hugely debt-ridden finances, and Torres has himself made it clear that a move away from Liverpool is a big possibility this summer.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper before the World Cup, he said: “I suppose that when the World Cup finishes I will speak to the people at Liverpool and they will explain to me the real situation of how things are at present - the future of the club. And I will talk to the new coach.”

Roy Hodgson , last week installed as the new Anfield boss, has made it clear that he may well be the manager who sells Torres for the financial good of the club.